School Time Story
by Wandering Wonderer
Summary: Hinata is the new girl at school. But fitting in is going to be no problem when everyone else has problems just like her. Different personalities and different life stories makes for an interesting time. NaruHina, SasuSaku, ShikaIno, NejiTen.


**What am I doing? Uploading! The world, tis freezing over!**

**Rated T for slight language and some themes (I guess). Plus, they're teens. NaruHina, SasuSaku, ShikaIno and NejiTen.**

**...It's a Highschool fic.**

**Come back!!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of its affiliated characters. I also don't own my own car, a stereo, or a chocolate factory.**

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"Alright guys great practice, now hit the showers!" Called out Iruka, waving the school's male soccer team off the field.

"I've never liked that saying, how does one exactly 'hit' a shower?" Shikamaru Nara said, wiping his sweaty forehead against his less sweaty forearm.

"Shikamaru, for someone who doesn't like worrying about things, you worry about the stupidest things." Said Naruto Uzumaki, wiping his face on his shirt.

"And you'd know a lot about stupid things baka." Sasuke Uchiha said, walking in front of him.

Naruto, who happened to be holding the ball, dropped it to the ground before kicking it and delivering an accurate hit to the back of Sasuke's head. The ball rolled back to Naruto's feet and he flicked it back up into his arms.

"Duck, Teme."

"Naruto, why can't you kick like that when we play?" Neji Hyuga asked, the captain of the team.

"I do Hyuga, you're just too busy trying to get away from your opponent to notice."

"Neji, can I speak to you for a moment?" Called Iruka, saving Naruto from Neji's reply.

"But practice today was fantastic, our teamwork even at the beginning of the year is to be admired!" Exclaimed Rock Lee, the vice-captain of the Konoha Academy soccer team.

"That's coz we're the best!" Naruto and Kiba Inuzuka cried out together.

They had just completed their first training session of the new year, which all high schools admitted would bring Konoha's strongest team in years. The previous year's captain had been all about flashy moves, but now that Neji was the captain, strategy would be introduced and the team's players would be put in the positions that best suited their strengths.

As the team got closer to the gym, some of the guys started speeding up, eager to see what was inside. As much as team practice was a tradition, so was watching the cheerleaders after practice and on the way to the showers. The boys' locker room was attached the gym, the gym where the girls were always practicing on the same day as team practice.

Entering through the large doors, the boys fell silent as they spotted the girls in mid-routine. They stood as a group in front of the closed doors as they watched the girls with hormonal interest.

The girls were chanting a familiar cheer, moving through the familiar moves, and none of the guys noticed the one girl who was in formation, but was only mouthing the words, not shouting them. They finished the cheer, and the boys were about to cheer for them when Sakura Haruno, the pink-haired cheerleader captain stepped forward and addressed the other girls.

"That was great guys, and to all our newbies, you picked that up very well. Now," She paused, pointing to one girl, a girl with midnight blue hair. "This year will be great, because one of our new teammates will add something extra. Hinata, after we run through that routine, do you want to move out and improvise a few moves?" The silver-eyed girl indicated to as Hinata nodded without saying a word. "Great! We'll start from the last 'Konoha, Ra, Ra, Ra!' and then Hinata, you do your thing."

The male audience watched as the girls ran through the last section of the very familiar routine before the blue-haired girl stepped out of formation and moved through a series of fluid backflips, then a one-handed round-off before landing in the splits.

The girls cheered and squealed, before surrounding Hinata and complimenting her on her skills.

"It should be illegal for a girl to bend that well." Croaked Kiba.

Several of the other guys swallowed and nodded, not taking their eyes off the flexible girl. So involved in their male fantasies, they didn't notice when the door to the gym opened and Neji walked in.

"Neji, you missed it, the new girl is so bendy. It's really hot!" One of the defenders on the team said.

None of the guys were surprised by Neji's appearance, because the Hyuga male was not adverse to the idea of watching the girls, after all that's how he met his girlfriend Tenten, but his suspicious glare worried them.

"Which girl?" He asked.

"That one," Kiba pointed to Hinata. "She must be new here, I'd remember a rack like that."

Next thing he knew, Neji was up in his face, glaring at the Inuzuka male. "That is Hinata Hyuga, my cousin."

Kiba paled instantly, actually frightened for his life.

Naruto decided to jump in. "Why hasn't she been here before?"

Neji looked from Kiba, willing to answer the innocent question. "She was granted a full scholarship. She used to be home-schooled but she moved to Tokyo to get the most out of her education and to take advantage of her skills."

"She's a very good gymnast." The blonde continued observantly as the girls made their way over.

One girl ran over. Sakura squealed as she saw her boyfriend and threw herself into Sasuke's arms, engaging him in a deep kiss. The blonde cheerleader named Ino Yamanaka looked on in jealously, thus completely oblivious to the unusually tender look being sent way by her best friend Shikamaru. Tenten walked right up to Neji and kissed him lightly on the cheek. He didn't like public displays of affection.

Hinata stood back slightly, not making eye contact with anyone and feeling a little bit out of her depth. She missed Kiba's lustful gaze and Naruto's look of quiet fascination.

"Hinata-sa…Hinata, how was your first day of school?" Neji asked after saying a quiet hello to his girlfriend.

Hinata looked up for the first time, her lavender gaze flitting over the group. "G-Good Neji-nii-san. It…it is very strange though, having d-different teachers and p-people to interact with. I enjoy ch-cheerleading."

Sakura squealed and threw her arms around Hinata's shoulders. "You are so cute, I never met anyone as shy as you. Anyway, this is the gang. You obviously know Neji, but this sexy man is my boyfriend, Sasuke Uchiha," Said boy nodded politely. "This is Shikamaru Nara, resident genius, though why he's friends with Ino-Pig-"

"Shut up Forehead-Girl!" Ino retorted.

Sakura waved it off. "This is Rock Lee-"

"We've met before!" Lee said delightfully, bowing deeply to Hinata. "At the-"

"Lee, I'm talking! And this is Choji Akimichi, chef extraordinaire and goalie for the soccer team. And that tattooed boy ogling you is Kiba Inuzuka. Don't worry, he drools over all the girls. And last, and probably also least-"

"Hey!"

"Is Naruto Uzumaki, loudmouth and school prankster. There's also Sai and Shino, but they're not here, they don't do extracurricular sport."

"N-Nice to meet you all." Hinata said, light pink blush dusting her cheeks.

Kiba was about to speak when he caught Neji's glare, so he scurried off towards the showers instead. Shikamaru followed suit soon after, not really interested in watching Ino glare jealously as Sakura and Sasuke made out. Choji followed. Several of the guys on the team stopped flirting with some of the other girls in the cheerleading squad and also headed for the showers.

"What do you think of Konoha Academy Hinata?" Naruto asked cheerfully, thrilled at the prospect of making a new friend.

Hinata looked at his eyes for a moment, before her gaze shifted slightly away from the expressive blue orbs. "I-It's very different to what I'm used to. I do like the sc-school spirit. It's one g-giant community."

"I bet Neji's been bragging about how good our soccer team is!" He leaned forward, cupping his hands around his mouth as if he were revealing a big secret. "He's not exaggerating, it's all true!" Hinata giggled at his carefree antics. "You have a nice laugh." He squinted, looking at her face. "And your eyes are almost like Neji's…but yours are prettier."

Hinata blushed a deep red. "A-Ah, th-thank-you Uzumaki-san-"

Naruto waved his hand dismissively. "Naruto's fine."

"N-Naruto-kun…"

Neji clapped Naruto firmly on the back. " School is locked up at 5.30, we'd better get to the showers while we still can." There was a steely, protective chord in his voice. "Hinata, we can leave as soon as I'm done."

Hinata nodded and moved back over to a gymnastics mat in favour of watching Sasuke and Sakura continue to make out. Tenten had already left, having to help her family out at their store.

Wanting to let off some suppressed giddy energy, she did five successive cartwheels and then did a handstand, walking from one side of the mat to the other on her hands. Letting her feet fall forward, she stretched herself into an arch.

That was how Neji, Naruto and the now disentangled Sasuke and Sakura found her. Sakura looked on in amusement and Sasuke and Naruto looked at her like she was impossible. She kicked her legs back until she was and arch again, this time looking like a stretching cat. She stood up and grabbed her bag as Neji called her over.

The Hyuga teens said goodbye to their friends before heading off home, leaving the best friends to their own devices. Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke decided to go and get an early dinner.

* * *

After dinner at the Hyuga Tokyo estate that same night, Neji, Hinata and Hanabi were sitting in Hinata's room doing their first homework of the year. Hinata's younger sister Hanabi was five years her junior, 12 years old. The room was filled with the sounds of turning paper, scribbling pens, and the tap of a keyboard.

In the comfortable silence of the room, the shrill sound of a famous pop singer filled the room, signalling the receiving of a text message on Hanabi's phone. The keyboard stopped tapping as the young girl reached beside her to pick up her phone. The quiet 'beep' of typing a text message was heard for 30 seconds, before the keyboard typing began again.

"H-Hanabi, I can't understand your constant communicating with your f-friends. D-Don't you run out of things to talk about?"

"No, we talk about the same things…same people."

Neji gave a grunt of understanding and Hinata turned back to her textbook while Hanabi continued talking to whichever friends were currently online.

"Hinata." Hinata and Hanabi's father, Hiashi Hyuga, appeared in the bedroom doorway. "How was your first day of school, did you keep up?"

"Yes Otou-sama, in fact, my home-schooling has put me ahead s-slightly. And I made the ch-cheerleading squad."

He nodded. "You are to keep me informed on your progress this year, you are yet to prove to me that you can handle being at a high-school, and one so prestigious as Konoha Academy."

"Y-Yes Otou-sama."

And with that, her father was gone; taking what little self-confidence she had accumulated throughout the day.

"You know, Moegi-chan says her family talks at dinner." Hanabi said, looking up briefly from the computer. "I wonder if we'll ever do that."

* * *

The following Monday after soccer practice, the boys found themselves in the gym again watching the girls round up their practice. It seemed the girls were trying to make a new chant because every now and then, Sakura would pull them out of formation and make corrections, criticisms or alterations. From what they could see, the boys understood that Sakura was trying to incorporate more of Hinata's gymnastic abilities into the routine.

Kiba had learned from his mistake the previous week to keep any comments that could be considered lewd to himself. Naruto on the other hand, continually watched Hinata with quiet fascination, not quite believing that this was the same shy girl he came to realise he had art and history with.

Hinata was small, even compared to the other girls, so aside from being the one doing the gymnastic stunts, she was also the one being thrown in the air, which Sakura seemed adamant to accomplish for the routine. She also wanted a human pyramid, so it was lucky they were practicing on gym mats to cushion the falls.

The boys watched as Hinata was perched on the linked hands of Tenten and another girl on the squad, preparing to be thrown in the air. From beside him, Naruto could see that Neji was looking on nervously.

"Ready? On my count, three, two, one!" Sakura shouted.

With the added thrust of her two teammates, Hinata lifted into the air and did a somersault before gravity took hold and pulled her back downwards. The plan was for her to land on her feet, on the still linked hands of Tenten and the other girl, but at the last moment, the other girl freaked out and pulled her hands away. As a result, Hinata came down hard on her feet, passing directly though Tenten's outstretched hands, as the girl tried thoughtfully to catch her.

Hinata cried out as she landed wrong on one foot and went tumbling to the ground, clutching her left ankle. Most of the girls on the squad squealed unhelpfully, backing away like Hinata's injury was contagious.

Neji didn't have this problem, and he rushed forward to his cousin's aid. Naruto followed suit, feeling a need to help his new soft-spoken friend in whatever way he could. As he reached her, Sakura and Ino had come over, Sakura shouting at the girl that had caused Hinata's fall to get some ice.

"I-I'm fine, it just hurt f-for a moment. The gym m-mat took the impact." Hinata protested, trying to get back on her feet.

Neji was having none of that. "Let me see." He took off her left shoe and sock, inspecting her ankle. "There doesn't seem to be a fracture, does it hurt when I do this?" He rotated her foot gently in clockwise and anti-clockwise circles.

"N-No Neji-nii-san, it's fine. L-Look, help me up. See, I-I'm okay. Th-Thank-you for the concern."

"Either way, you're done for the day." Neji said, helping her up.

"I agree with Neji, we can't risk an injury before Friday's game." Sakura said. "First of the season, nervous boys?" And her attention was diverted.

"Nah, we're gonna wipe the floor with them." Naruto replied first, though Kiba's similar statement was only half a breath behind.

"Well, we may as well stop practice and pick up this routine next Monday afternoon. But see you girls Thursday afternoon for a last practice before Friday's game." Sakura declared, dusting off her hands dramatically.

Most of the girls flitted off, but Sakura, Ino, Tenten and Hinata stayed behind. Shikamaru and Ino picked up an argument they had been having during lunch about a biology concept, while Sakura and Sasuke moved off to the corner of the gym to make out. Tenten and Lee discussed an assignment they were working on together, and Naruto smiled as Neji.

"You go and have your shower, I'll keep Hinata company." Naruto said.

Hinata flushed instantly, having, during the past week, developed a crush on the blonde jokester.

"Aren't you having a shower?" Neji asked.

"No point, I'm only going home and then me and Jiraiya are helping this old lady in the apartment below us move furniture. You go, Hinata and I have plenty to talk about!" Neji looked on hesitantly. "I'm not going to bite her, geez!"

With that, Neji left for the showers, and Naruto helped Hinata over to the stack of gym mats, assisting her as she lowered herself down to sit on them.

"Th-thank-you Naruto-kun."

"No problem, now, are you really alright? That fall looked pretty painful. You can tell me, I won't tell Neji." He winked mischievously at the last part.

She smiled softly, averting her gaze. "Y-Yes, I'm okay. It hurt when I f-fell, but I've had worse, and on harder surfaces."

"Really?"

"Yes, I've been d-doing gymnastics for many years, I've had my fair share of f-falls. Not to mention-"

"Hinata-chan, here's your ice. I'm sorry I pulled away. It was instinct. We've never done anything like that in a routine before." Said Hinata's fellow cheerleader as she reappeared with the ice.

Hinata took the ice and told the girl there was no need to apologise and that it could have happened to anyone. Once the girl left, Hinata placed the icepack on her ankle and looked back at Naruto, who was looking over at Sasuke and Sakura, who were making out in a corner.

"I used to have a crush on Sakura, back during Primary and Middle school. But it got to the point, I think, where I only liked her for the sake of liking someone, you know? Then she started dating Teme, whose my best friend even though he's a prick, and I gave up on the whole crush." He wiped some sweat on his sleeve. "They do that a lot," He indicated to the kissing couple. "Even when the three of us are out. We're all pretty close, known each other since forever! I'm not really jealous of them, just of what they have."

"Th-they do seem happy." Hinata put in, propriety forbidding her from looking directly at the kissing couple.

"Yeah, and that's all a guy could want for his best friends. But what about you, have you got someone special?" He looked at her with interest.

She shook her head, blushing. "N-No, I don't have s-someone."

"Why not, I thought someone as pretty and talented as you would have guys lining up for her."

The blush deepened. "I've run in v-very exclusive circles for a l-long time, I h-haven't really met any p-people. And the ones I have m-met don't really interest me th-that way."

Naruto nodded seriously. "I see, I see, you don't like snooty rich boys." Hinata couldn't help but giggle at his serious expression, and he cracked a smile. "It's true isn't it? Aren't all rich boys, snooty? Don't they sit around discussing money and cars and women in that order?" Hinata giggled again. "Ah well, their loss."

Neji exited the boy's locker room and began heading over to his cousin, but he stopped in his tracks. Looking over at his cousin and his friend he could tell they were interested in each other. The body language told it all. The two were turned towards each other, leaning forward in deep conversation.

And Hinata was tugging on a piece of hair! She hadn't done that in years. It was a nervous, shy habit of hers he thought she'd conquered years ago through many forced hours of therapy and etiquette lessons.

Not exactly sure how he felt about the possibility of a relationship between Naruto and his cousin, Neji made his hasty way over to them. He respected Naruto, thought him a great guy and friend, but the thought of him with Hinata…anyone with Hinata, was hard to picture. To him, no one was good enough for Hinata.

"And then he slapped me across the face with a fish!" Naruto finished theatrically to whatever he'd been telling Hinata.

On her part, Hinata went into a fit of small giggles, putting the back of her hand to her mouth to muffle the giggles. Neji couldn't deny that he liked hearing his cousin laugh, no matter how protective he was of her. Her happiness came before everything.

"Don't ask me where he got a fish, I have no idea!" Naruto explained with mock thoughtfulness. "That's not the weirdest thing I've been hit with though. I've had a pineapple thrown at my head. On a school trip. In an art gallery! It was a real pineapple too, I had a funny dent in my head for a week!"

"We think he insulted a fruit vendor outside the gallery who then followed him in." Neji said, joining in the conversation.

"I did no such thing!"

"Unintentionally." Neji nodded.

"I don't know how me being not smart had anything to do with it."

Neji rolled his eyes. "Naruto, 'unintentional', not 'unintelligent'. It means that you did it without meaning to."

"Oh. Well, I'm not stupid either!" Naruto pouted.

"No one said you were, but if you're worried about your grades, get a tutor."

"You know I can't aff-"

"Or ask a friend to help you with your homework. A friend wouldn't charge money. Hinata, we have to be getting home, dinner will be served soon. Are you sure you can walk on that leg?" Hinata nodded. "Okay."

Hinata stood, icepack in hand and turned to Naruto with a soft smile. "G-Goodnight Naruto-kun. Be careful m-moving furniture."

"I will be, the old lady may be weak, but she makes great curry!" Naruto stood too, picking up his bag. "Goodnight Hinata, and Neji too I guess."

Naruto lived in the opposite direction of the Hyuga teenagers, so he headed to the opposite entrance to them. As Neji opened the heavy gym door for Hinata, they heard an enthusiastic voice echo across the hall.

"See you in art bright and early tomorrow morning Hinata!" Naruto waved furiously from across the room.

Hinata had a light blush and a small smile playing across her face as Neji ushered her out of the gym, though managing a small wave back in the blonde's direction.

* * *

That evening, Naruto was leaning against a couch that he and his guardian were trying to move. It was proving to be a trying process. Flicking his head back in an attempt to get some longish blonde strands out of his face, he blew out a breath. He looked over at his guardian, who was just as exhausted, with a slightly hesitant expression.

"Hey Ero-Sennin-"

"Why do you call me that Naruto?" The tall, booming, white-haired man asked.

"Because you claim to be the smartest man alive, daily! And you are a pervert, you spy on women."

"You'd think, after living with me for so many years, that it'd rub off on you. You don't go on dates, you don't have a girlfriend…you're not gay are you?"

"No! In fact I was going to ask you about girls now!" He crossed his arms across his chest, turning his head away. "Now I don't think I will."

Jiraiya looked elated. "No, no, tell me! Let your guardian guide you."

"Well," Naruto said. "You see…there's this new girl at school. She's sweet, she's smart and she's really, really cute and…I like her."

"Oh sweet merciful heavens! Thank-you!" Jiraiya shouted to the ceiling, then looked back at Naruto and coughed. "Continue."

Naruto frowned. "Well, I'm not really sure how to…ask her out. We're friends, we talk heaps, well, most of the time I talk and she listens but she's Neji's cousin."

"Ooh, a Hyuga girl!" Jiraiya had met all of Naruto's friends. "Good choice boy. But yes, I can see how that'd be a problem."

"That's not the only thing though. I don't know if she likes me that way. She's always looking away from me, she stutters and blushes too. If I ask her out and she doesn't like me that way, I'm going to make her really uncomfortable because she's really shy." He looked up at Jiraiya.

The older man's eyes were sparkling. "She's shy? Does she wear her uniform at regulation length? Is she quiet like a mouse? Does she pull her socks up and button up the top button of her shirt? Does she wear glasses?"

Naruto sighed. "Never mind."

* * *

Hanabi clung to Hinata's arm as she looked around in fascination. "This is the first time Otou-sama has let me come to one of Neji's games. When are you on, Nee-chan?"

"Before the game starts up until the end." Hinata said, more nervous that she let on. "Just p-promise you'll sit close to the front so I can see you. That's what you promised Otou-sama."

"I will- Neji-nii-san!" Shouted the younger girl in excitement.

Hanabi pulled at her sister's arm and dragged her over to where their cousin and his friends were standing. As they approached, Naruto, who was part of the group, waved enthusiastically at the advancing girls.

"Hi Hinata! Are you psyched for the game? I know I am. Is this your sister? Hi, I'm Naruto."

"Oh!" Hanabi's silver eyes opened wide. "'You're' Naruto." She said with a smooth tone.

"Yep, you've heard of me?"

"You're name's come up in conversation."

At that point, Hinata got her sister's attention. "H-Hanabi-chan, m-maybe you should go find a seat. I have to find m-my teammates." She blamed the bright lights for her blush.

Hanabi all but skipped off with a smile on her face. Ignoring the burn of her cheeks, Hinata turned back to the group of boys she'd come to know as her friends. Neji was watching after his youngest cousin with a concerned look on his face, and Naruto and Kiba were bickering about something. Shikamaru, Choji and Sasuke were discussing a group presentation they had to do together, and Lee was smiling at her politely.

"Hinata-chan, I keep meaning to tell you that I admired your success at the last-"

"Hinata-chan! Hinata! Come on, we have to get ready!" Sakura shouted, running over with Ino half a step behind her. "Hi Sasuke-kun, I'll see you after the game." She blew her boyfriend a kiss, who muttered something under his breath, obviously uncomfortable. "Good luck boys, don't stink. You lose, we lose."

"Sakura-chan, you're supposed to be cheering us on." Naruto pouted dramatically.

"No time Baka, we have a job to do." And she ran off again.

"Yeah, cheering us on!" He shouted after her.

Ino took Hinata's hand. "Come on, we have to go."

"G-Good luck Naruto-kun." And she was gone too, dragging Ino after her, blush staining her cheeks.

* * *

During the game, and during a standard cheer formation that was meant to energise the boys and not draw attention away from them, Hinata watched Naruto as he sprinted up the field, flanking Kiba, who had the ball.

She knew she'd known him for just under two weeks, and her crush may have begun innocently enough as a way to adapt and assimilate herself into normal teen culture, but the more she watched the blonde young man, the more she found him attractive.

She'd learned from the art class they had together, that he didn't have any artistic ability, but his self-assurance and want of improvement was just as beautiful as his paintings were messy. He didn't have a grasp on history, but his persistence to learn was endearing.

So as she watched him play the game, and able to revel in the fact that she was watching him do what he loved most, and what he was best at, she saw these qualities and more.

Though he seemed to like having the ball and make the impressive moves, she could see that he was a team player, and if one of his teammates were in a better position, he had no qualms in giving up the ball. He worked hard to not make a mistake, worked harder to correct them when they happened, and the compound expression of concentration and enjoyment on his face made her proud to know him.

She admired him. Though there was a lot of pressure on him, he tried his best, had fun, and did it all with a carefree attitude. How she wished she could live like that. He scored one goal that night, and his level of excitement was the same as when Sasuke and Shikamaru each scored a goal. He was selfless but still so goal-orientated.

And very easy on the eyes. His smile was blinding, his hair was bright and his physique was stunning. He was like a beacon of light on a dark night. A key to her prison. The smile on her face and laughter on her lips.

She even found herself waving to him when he waved to her from the field after scoring his second goal, the tiebreaker. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Hanabi's grin and she flushed.

At the halftime break, the cheerleading teams for both teams put on a routine to stir the crowd. Hinata had been self-conscious as she'd done some solo gymnastic moves, only to be comforted by the fact that she saw Naruto cheering for her from the sideline, where he was sitting taking a break. And despite her shy nature, she did enjoy her time on the field because she had most people cheering for her abilities. It was a rare experience that she endeavoured for. She seldom got praise at home.

After the game (which Konoha won 4-2), the soccer team and the cheerleading squad congregated on the side of the pitch, hugging and laughing with each other. Sakura was pleased that her first game as captain had ended in success, and then proceeded to stoke Sasuke's hidden ego with praise of his 'superior and downright sexy moves'.

Once the crowd subsided and the group of friends moved to the parking lot, Jiraiya made his way over, ruffling Naruto's hair. "Good job boy, bit sloppy on your feigning, but otherwise very good."

"Thanks Ero-Sennin!"

"How many times do I have to- hello, who is this?" He looked at Hinata, who happened to be standing just behind Naruto, talking to her sister. "I haven't met this one. Hello young lady, I am Naruto's loving guardian, Jiraiya. You must be the new friend he's told me about."

"Oh," Naruto seemed almost reluctant to introduce his small friend. "Yeah, this is my friend Hinata Hyuga. Hinata, this is my guardian Jiraiya."

"N-Nice to meet you." Hinata stuttered, having met one who was practically her crush's father.

"It's wonderful to meet you too Hinata-chan." And he finished his sentence by taking her hand and placing a kiss upon it.

Naruto roared and Hinata flushed. "Alright you pervert! Leave Hinata alone, she's much classier than the girls you usually go after. And nicer too." He took Hinata's hand from Jiraiya's, holding it away from the older man.

Neji seized up, brotherly feelings of protection setting in. He plucked Hinata's hand from Naruto's and stepped between them.

"We really must be going. My Uncle will be expecting us home soon and we have to drop off Tenten first. Hinata, Hanabi, Tenten, we're leaving. Goodnight Jiraiya-san, guys, well done. See you on Monday."

Soon enough, only Naruto and Jiraiya were left standing in the car park, Ino and Sakura not wishing to draw the attention of the perverted older man. Jiraiya smiled at Naruto as the two hopped in their one car.

"You didn't mention she had curves-"

"Shut up!"

"You have good taste, maybe I did rub off on you-"

"Shut up!"

"And she's flexible too!"

"Shut up!"

* * *

For three weeks, the monotony of school set in, with the most interesting event being when Naruto and Kiba had the school evacuated because of a botched chemistry experiment, allegedly by accident. After being sent to the Principal's office, Naruto had promised Tsunade, the Principal and old school friend of Jiraiya, that he would get a tutor.

So on the anniversary of six weeks of knowing each other, Naruto asked Hinata, after soccer practice, to be his tutor. He thought her, after hearing about her good grades in all of her subjects except debating, as smart as she was pretty.

Hinata had jumped at the chance to spend more time with her crush, whom she had firmly cemented her feelings for. It wasn't a passing thing now, she found Naruto Uzumaki attractive in all his qualities. She even found his flaws endearing. His stubborn attitude so different to her own meek disposition, that she hardly saw it as a flaw at all. It was a part of Naruto, so it was acceptable.

She asked him why he hadn't asked Sakura, Sasuke or Shikamaru, all of whom had better marks than her. He replied that Sakura had no patience for teaching him other than to point him in the direction of the Principal's office, Shikamaru had no drive or energy for tutoring, and the thought of having to obey the 'Teme's' orders, he said, made him physically ill.

"Besides," He said cheerfully. "I like spending time with you."

* * *

For two weeks they met twice a week in the school library after school. Naruto had decided against holding the sessions at his house, in case Jiraiya ever came home early from 'work'.

"Are you going to be a teacher Hinata? You're very good at it. We had a quiz in chemistry yesterday and I understood it all. I got 17 out of 20!" He hugged her as they packed up their supplies on a windy Thursday afternoon. "You're the best!"

Hinata blushed a deep red and dropped the book she'd been trying to put away. "Th-thank-you Naruto-kun, but you only have yourself to congratulate. You're the one putting in all the effort. I…I admire your perseverance."

Naruto released her and scooped down to pick up the book she'd dropped. "Thanks Hinata." He smiled nervously. "Do you think, maybe…I could take you out to dinner sometime…to say 'thanks'?"

Hinata barely kept her grip on the book he'd just passed her. "I-I'd like that, very much."

Naruto's grin made her blink. "Great! When would you like to do it? Tomorrow night's an away game, so maybe on the weekend?"

"I-I'm sorry Naruto-kun, but I have p-plans this weekend. I promised Hanabi I'd help her with a p-project on Saturday, and S-Sakura-chan, Ino-chan and I have made plans to go shopping on Sunday." Naruto looked disappointed. "How about M-Monday after practice? We could have an early d-dinner."

He brightened. "Yeah! I'll just bring a change of clothes to school. It's getting late…in Hyuga time, I'd better walk you to the train station before Neji starts flipping out. He has the power to put me on the bench, lets not agitate him."

They talked about trivial, silly things as they walked to the train station, and Naruto had Hinata giggling by the time they arrived.

"C-Congratulations on your quiz again Naruto-kun. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Thanks again Hinata, and yeah, I'll see you tomorrow. Have a safe trip home."

Then something extraordinary happened. Caught up in the happy, carefree, easy mood he was in, without thinking and a lowering of his guard and self-control, Naruto leaned forward and kissed Hinata on the cheek. Instantly, both went red, and were only saved from the awkwardness of a stumbling apology or talk, by the train station's announcer voice announcing the arrival of Hinata's train.

Hinata, in a daze, stuttered a goodbye and then drifted into the station, feet skimming along the floor like she was floating. Naruto waited until she was out of sight and then ran, face flushed and heart racing.

* * *

On Sunday, Hinata took the train into the heart of Tokyo city to meet up with Sakura and Ino. They had agreed to meet outside the city's main train station because they were all catching a different train from a different direction to get in.

As she stepped out into the sunlight, she caught sight of Sakura doing the exact same thing from a different station entrance. The two waved at each other and walked over to meet, hugging in greeting. Ino arrived fifteen minutes later, slightly overdressed for a day out in the city.

"Pig, what's with the get-up? We're going to be walking around for ages, those shoes are going to kill your feet!" Sakura said, concern lacing her admonition.

"For your information Forehead, I don't have a boyfriend. I want to look good for the potentials. You're not out to impress anyone, you have Sasuke-kun! And Hinata's in love with Naruto-"

"Wh-what?" Hinata blushed.

"Please Hinata," Ino threw an arm around Hinata's shoulders. "It's so obvious. Naruto's just too dense to notice."

"O-Oh…"

"Don't worry Hinata, we won't tell him. Unless you want us to. We'll help you get him if you want, but I think you're doing a fine job yourself. Classes together, tutoring, the flirting after practice and games…and you're having dinner together tomorrow night!" Sakura said, easing the shy girl's nerves.

"I-I'm not flirting! A-Am I?"

"Unless you're naturally that patient with people's annoying habits…" Ino trailed off, looking in another direction.

Hinata blinked as if to ask 'what annoying habits?' and Sakura smiled, hugging the girl. "As one of his two best friends, I approve." She let go of Hinata and clapped her hands. "So, what do we want to do first?"

Hinata gave a few tentative suggestions and it wasn't until Ino didn't respond, that Sakura realised she didn't have her blonde friend's attention. Ino's attention was on a group of four boys who stood a little way down the road, talking amongst themselves and looking over at the three of them every few seconds. They were obviously talking about them.

Hinata flushed when she saw that Ino was smiling and waving at them lightly, keeping the boys' attention on them.

"Ino, what are you doing?" Sakura snapped.

"Engaging the potentials."

Taking Ino's hand, she dragged her away and Hinata hastily followed. "You don't know them. They could be jerks, or perverts, or rapists!"

Ino rolled her eyes. "Please, the chances of them being rapists is so minimal. Oh, those are cute shoes!"

* * *

Sixteen stores, seven bags and two and a half hours later, the three girls were sitting inside a mall food court with trays of food in front of them. Sakura had her feet up on the chair opposite her, with Hinata on her right and Ino sitting next to Sakura's feet.

Sakura had a mouthful of Mexican food, Ino was picking the capsicum out of her salad, mumbling about the fact that she had asked for no capsicum, and Hinata was slowly eating her sushi.

Ino suddenly smiled winningly and twirled a strand of her straightened blonde hair. Sakura and Hinata almost choked on their food, before they realised their friend's attention was focused behind them. Sakura pretended she was getting her phone out of her pocket and saw out the corner of her eye that the people Ino was smiling at were the boys from earlier.

"Ino, I really wish you wouldn't." She murmured.

"Sakura, just because you have a boyfriend-"

"Hi."

Hinata jumped in her seat at the male voices right behind her chair. Looking up, she also realised it was the boys from that morning. She looked back down at her food and tried to ignore them.

"Who's got a boyfriend?" One of the guys asked, eyes focused on Ino.

"No one." She replied, leaning forward and resting her elbows on the table, and her head on her hands. "Hi." She smiled.

The one that had spoken was a boy a little older than them, with brown hair and brown eyes. Nondescript in his appearance, yet pretty in a conventional way.

"I'm Shouda," He introduced. "This is Takuma," He indicated to a boy with long, dull, black hair and unfocused grey eyes. "This is Jinta," Pointing to the one with platinum blonde hair and black eyes. "And this is Fuji." The last boy was the prettiest, and quietest, with auburn hair and blue eyes.

"I'm Ino, and this is-"

"I can introduce myself Ino." Sakura put in. "I'm Lilli, and this is Tsuki."

Ino was focused on Shouda, the obvious leader of the group, and sending him sweet smiles, so she didn't notice that Fuji, who along with being the prettiest and quietest, also looked the strongest, was standing right behind Hinata, and looking straight down at what little cleavage her shirt showed.

Hinata didn't know this either (or Sakura, because she would have hit him), but she felt very uncomfortable, almost certain that there were eyes on her. She wanted to know what was going on, this situation was new and unwelcome to her. The only one in any position to see was Ino, but she was pre-occupied.

So she slowly reached her leg across under the table, and tapped Ino's foot. Ino finally took her eyes off Shouda to look at Hinata and was shocked to see the anxiousness in her expression. The look was so disengaging, that when she looked up at the boys, she saw the looks of predatory lust and arrogance.

Finally realising the awkward position she'd put herself and her friends into, Ino looked at her watch. "Ah, Tsuki, don't you have a family thing this afternoon? We'd better get moving."

Sakura and Hinata immediately understood and picked up their bags. Ino stood up and all but yanked Sakura to her feet. Hinata was the slowest getting up, but not by much.

"Aw, don't be like that girls, we were just getting to know each other." Shouda said.

He and Jinta stepped towards Sakura and Ino and each took a hold of their arms. Fuji, who had been standing behind Hinata the whole time, placed a firm grip on her shoulder.

"Hands off, creepo!" Sakura snapped, trying to pull her arm from the boy's grip.

"Hey, let go of me!" Ino snapped at the boy holding her, she wasn't even quite sure which one it was.

"Hey, you were the one flirting with us Ino-chan." Shouda drawled.

Ino shuddered.

Hinata had politely tried to shake off the hand on her shoulder, but Fuji was not budging. "P-Please let me go."

"What are you gonna do about it?" Came the quiet voice from behind her, his breath on her neck and his other hand running through her hair.

Hinata suddenly lifted her hands, with her bags still on her wrist, grabbed hold of the intrusive hand by the wrist, bent forward and down, and with a grunt of exertion, threw him forward over her shoulder. He landed on the floor with an almighty 'thud' and gasped out a breath, the wind knocked from him.

The others, Sakura and Ino included, stared at her with wide eyes and open mouths before the girls came to their senses and ripped their arms from the boys' grasp while they were distracted.

Takuma, looking drugged and lethargic, lunged at Hinata with anger and embarrassment for his friend, and was met with an upwards palm-thrust to the nose, breaking it instantly.

"You little bitch!" Shouda snapped.

He nodded his head in her direction and Jinta suddenly jumped forward, scrambling onto the table. He lifted a foot to kick her in the face, but she bent down, placed her hands on the table and pushed. Jinta went flying over her and landed on top of Fuji, both groaning in pain.

Sakura turned to Shouda and glared at him. "We're leaving now. Ino, Hinata, lets go."

Hinata followed quickly after her two friends as they walked away calmly and proudly. She flushed as people she walked passed applauded her. There was a sudden shout from somewhere behind her, and as she turned, a fist came flying at her face. Reflex saved her features, and she blocked the punch by knocking it sideways.

Shouda countered the failed punch with a left swing, only to miss when Hinata dodged it. She was aware that Ino and Sakura called out to her worriedly, but she kept her face level. She avoided several punches, before throwing her first, and last punch. She hit him in the throat and he wheezed and fell back.

He landed on his rear, hard, and thought it more dignified if he didn't get up. As he looked up, Hinata was bowing, hands held together in a respectful way, indicating the end of controlled fight. People laughed and Hinata swiftly turned on her heel and moved over to her friends.

As they left the mall, they informed security that there were four beaten boys in the food court that had attacked them, but no thank-you, they didn't want to press charges.

None of them talked until they reached the train station. Ino spoke first, her stance Hinata-like.

"I'm sorry I put you in that position."

Sakura hugged her. "Just promise you won't do that again. You're just lucky Hinata and I were there to back you up. Who knows what could have happened if you were alone. Tone it down, okay?"

"I will. And I'm sorry. Hinata," Ino hugged her. "Thank-you, you were awesome." She let go of her and laughed. "I'm going to go home now and have a nice long bath and then curl up in bed and reflect over how stupid I was."

"Don't do anything stupid Ino-Pig." Sakura said fondly. "See you tomorrow."

Ino waved and left to catch her train, her head hanging a little low, and her shoulders slumped, not feeling as confident and self-assured as usual. Sakura turned to Hinata and hugged her fiercely.

"You look mortified now, so I'm going to hold off on the questions until tomorrow. But thank-you Hinata, you saved us today. Now you scurry home and try on those gorgeous new shoes you bought. I'll see you at school tomorrow, you hear?"

"H-Hai Sakura-chan, I'll see you tomorrow. And you're w-welcome."

The two friends parted ways and as Hinata hopped on her train, luckily, seconds before the doors closed, she looked inside her two bags. One containing shoes, the other, a blouse, both of which she planned to wear to dinner tomorrow night.

She bit her lip. "That last punch was a bit soft. I've been slacking off." She thought.

* * *

As Hinata and Neji arrived at school the next morning, Neji was in a foul mood. Hinata had told him what had happened when she was out, because if she hadn't he would have heard it from Sakura or Ino.

Hinata was dreading the confrontation now, because it meant that their other friends would find out. And looking back on it now, Hinata was ashamed of her actions. She had acted rashly, sure, she had gotten rid of some very rude guys, but she'd behaved improperly. Fighting was to be kept in a ring.

It was Naruto's brightly coloured hair amongst a sea of dark hair that pointed out their group of friends among all the other students. And only Naruto's hair. Sakura and Ino weren't there yet.

When Naruto spotted her, he waved enthusiastically. She smiled, blushed, and waved back as they approached. As they joined their group of friends, Neji stood there with a frown on his face and his arms crossed over his chest.

"Neji, what's wrong?" Tenten asked, coming up to her boyfriend's side.

Neji was trembling with suppressed fury. "She…H-Hinata-"

"You legend!" Screamed a voice from across the grounds.

Everyone turned their heads and watched as Ino ran straight at Hinata an engulfed her in a tremendous hug. Coming after her was Sakura, though walking, and averting her gaze like she didn't know Ino. She did however, join the other two girls in a hug. When they pulled away, they saw Ino had tears in her eyes.

"I did a lot of thinking last night Hinata, a lot. And I realised sometime during the night that you really did save us yesterday. My pride was hurt yesterday more than anything but it wasn't until I was in bed, safe, that I realised how dangerous yesterday was. You saved us." She held Hinata's hand. "Thank-you, thank-you, thank-you."

"What was dangerous?" Shikamaru asked.

"What happened?" Kiba asked.

"What's going on?" Naruto whined.

"Hinata saved our butts yesterday is what happened." Ino explained unhelpfully.

Shikamaru looked at Sakura. "Can you explain please?"

"We," She indicated to herself, Hinata and Ino. "Went shopping yesterday. As soon as we meet at the train station, Ino starts flirting with this group of guys."

"Nothing new." Tenten said.

"Right," Sakura agreed. "And everything's fine until we're having lunch. Hinata and I thought Ino was giving us 'the eyes' and then realised those same guys were coming up behind us."

"And here I am, chatting away," Ino took over, tone excited. "And then I look at Hinata and realise how uncomfortable she is." She got teary again. "It was a horrible expression, broke my heart, and I realised the expressions on the boys faces. The one standing behind Hinata was looking down her top!"

"Wh-what?"

"What?"

"You didn't tell me that!"

Hinata, Naruto and Neji all spoke at once, Hinata's face going a deep red, right to the tips of her ears. Both boys looked at her, both displaying looks of shock, concern and protectiveness.

"Why didn't you tell me that?" Neji repeated, looking at his cousin.

"I-I d-didn't know. R-Really, I d-didn't!" She said firmly, completely embarrassed.

"She didn't, she couldn't see him." Ino explained. "Anyway, so we get up to leave and these guys grab a hold of us. There were four of them. Two grabbed me and Sakura, and one grabbed Hinata. The other was hanging back."

Naruto was now trembling like Neji. His insides were boiling with hatred. He wondered how hard it would be to track those guys- those lowlifes- down. He could get Sakura to tell him names later…

"And then, and then!" Ino was bouncing on the balls of her feet. "And then Hinata grabbed this guy by the wrist and tossed him over her shoulder!" She imitated the movements Hinata had done the day before.

"It was amazing!" Sakura said, eyes sparkling. "He was huge, the biggest of them all, and she, our little Hinata-chan, floored him! Then the other guy, the one hanging back, ran at her, but she broke his nose!"

"You did?" Naruto cried.

Hinata looked at him and nodded slightly.

Naruto looked delighted.

"She just thrust her hand up and wham! Broken and bloody nose." Sakura continued. "And because of that, the guys holding me and Ino were so shocked we were able to get loose-"

"And then the guy that had been holding Sakura jumped up on the table and was trying to kick Hinata in the face!" Ino's eyes went wide. "And- and she didn't even flinch! She ducked down, pushed the table, and the guy fell off, landing on the first guy she beat!"

"We started to leave then, and then there was a scream and the next thing we knew, Hinata was dodging and blocking punches from the guy that Ino was first flirting with, and with one punch, one, she got him in the throat and he was down!"

"She took out four guys like it was nothing! She was like a martial arts expert!" Ino announced.

"That's because she is."

Everyone looked at Lee.

"Excuse me Lee?" Sakura asked, quite shocked that it was Lee that spoke up on behalf of Hinata.

"I've been trying to tell you all for weeks." Lee replied.

"Th-that's why we knew each other when you introduced me to everyone S-Sakura-chan." Hinata added.

"Hinata-chan and I have met at several martial arts tournaments. If she entered the right competitions, she'd easily be a national champion." Lee smiled admiringly. "We've never had the pleasure of fighting, but I've watched her. You are amazing Hinata-chan."

That admission shocked everyone except Neji, who obviously already knew.

"How…" Naruto started. "How long have you been fighting for Hinata?"

"As long as I can remember N-Naruto-kun. Neji-nii-san and I took classes together for years. I l-like it, but I prefer gymnastics. That is my p-passion." Even saying the word 'passion' to Naruto made her stomach do flips. "I only p-participate in competitions to please my Otou-sama."

"That's…that's so cool! You have to show us sometime! All three of you, you have to fight for us!" Naruto said, taking Hinata by the hands.

Hinata blushed and stuttered and was unable to say anything. "We have a tournament this coming May." Neji said instead. "You may come and observe if you all like."

The entire group of friends nodded.

"But anyway!" Ino said, hugging Hinata, forcing her away from Naruto. "Hinata was a hero yesterday. It's scary to think about what could have happened. Hinata saved us."

"Yeah, and Ino's made us a promise that she'll tone it down." Sakura said.

"Good," Said Shikamaru. "I don't like you talking to strange guys anyway."

"Fine, I won't talk to you anymore!"

Shikamaru rolled his eyes and looked at Hinata with a smile. "Thank-you for looking after them yesterday Hinata. Whether she likes it or not, Ino is my best friend. We grew up together. I'd have hated for her to go through a traumatic event. Thanks for protecting my best friend."

He shook Hinata's hand and Ino watched in quiet fascination. She disengaged from Hinata and walked up to Shikamaru with wide eyes.

"You…you were really worried for me, weren't you?"

"Of course I was, you troublesome woman. I care for you deeply. You've been a part of my life for as long as I can remember."

Ino's breath caught and a light blush dusted her cheeks as she looked up at him. "Shika-kun…" And he blushed too.

"I agree with Nara on this Hinata-san, thank-you very much for protecting Sakura. And thank-you for inflicting so much pain." Sasuke caught Hinata's hand and shook it and Hinata smiled weakly. "They got off easy…" He muttered as he moved away, eyes dark.

Sakura bounded after him and caught him in a warm embrace and soft kisses that turned increasingly passionate with each meeting of lips.

The rest of the group of friends congratulated Hinata on her success and thanked her for protecting two of their own. Hinata took it all with humbleness and good grace, blushing and trying to play down her abilities.

As they all talked to each other, Naruto watched Hinata with a soft smile on his face. Her rosy blush and small smile made him want to hug her and never let her go. And when she bit her lip to suppress some laughter at something Choji said, he clenched his fists as the inexplicable urge to kiss her lips overtook him. Every now and then he caught himself about to play with her hair as it swayed from side to side in the breeze and reacted to her head movements.

He realised, as he pulled his hand away for the sixth time, that he was falling for her, and falling hard.

* * *

That afternoon after practice, Naruto rushed through his shower, wanting to meet Hinata as soon as possible. As he left the boys' locker room, he saw Sasuke and Sakura heading off together, saw Shikamaru heading out, and Ino rush after him. He was surprised, but not all together shocked when he saw Ino slip her hand into Shikamaru's. His lazy friend paused, looked sideways, down at his best friend, and then the two walked off together.

Neji and Tenten were standing over by the entrance of the gym, and when Naruto made eye contact with his elder friend, Neji gave him a long look that conveyed many emotions that basically summed up to say 'hurt her and die'.

Hinata came out of the girls' locker room moments later, abruptly ending Naruto's awkward moment. He smiled when he saw her, and theatrically held out a hand to her.

"May I take the best tutor in the world out to dinner?" He grinned. "You look very pretty Hinata."

"Th-thank-you Naruto-kun. Um…where are we going?"

"To my favourite restaurant of all time. It's this little ramen place that only the luckiest actually know about." He looked at her worriedly. "Is that okay? I know it's nothing too fancy, if you'd rather go somewhere else-"

"N-No, let's go to your ramen place. If Naruto-kun likes it, I'm sure I will."

Neji and Tenten were already gone when Naruto finally turned his head away from Hinata.

* * *

"And it was in the other barrel the whole time!" Naruto cried, throwing his arms in the air.

Hinata sat across from him in a small booth of the small restaurant that had a cosy, familiar atmosphere. She dissolved into a fit of giggles and had to cover her mouth with her hands to quieten them.

Naruto watched with a smile as Hinata giggled happily, tears of laughter building in the corners of her eyes, and her face flushed a light pink. Looking at her, he thought her beautiful in that moment.

Finished bowls of ramen sat before them after a very satisfying meal. A regular at 'Ichiraku Ramen', Naruto knew the owner and his daughter very well. He introduced Hinata to Teuchi and Ayame, and the two were given the private booth at the back of the establishment.

"I like making you laugh," Naruto said. "You look very pretty when you laugh." Hinata blushed deeper and her giggles subsided. "Ah, I don't mean you don't always look pretty! You do, you're very pretty all the time! But you're kind too, and smart, not just pretty! I mean-"

"Th-thank-you Naruto-kun. I…I like you making me laugh. I d-didn't laugh a lot growing up."

"And that's a shame, because it's a nice laugh too." He leaned forward with a grin. "I'm gonna tell you something now Hinata, consequences be damned, because I think it's worth the risk."

"O-Oh?" She said simply.

"I like that we're friends Hinata, you're a great friend and you have so many cool qualities. You're kind, smart and pretty, as I said before, but you're patient, with me, which is a huge thing! And you have a sense of humour, you're compassionate, and you're so interesting! I mean, you do gymnastics and martial arts!"

"N-Naruto-kun…"

"And from watching you these past weeks, I can tell you didn't join the cheerleading squad to be popular, you did it because you liked it, and you got to use your gymnastics.

"I like you. A lot. A lot, a lot. I know we've only known each other for less that two months, but I don't think that matters when two people…click as well as we do. I like you a lot Hinata."

At the end of his speech, he relaxed back into his chair, as if a huge weight had been lifted from him. But he felt winded, like he'd run two lengths of the soccer field.

"N-Naruto-kun," Hinata felt like crying. "I-I like you t-too. I admire everything about y-you, everything. I l-like your attitude, your p-personality, your c-courage and your p-perseverance. I…I do like you too."

Naruto grinned and leaned forward again, taking her hands. "Then can I tell you a secret?" She nodded 'yes' vigorously. "I had wanted this to be a date, but I was too chicken and used the excuse I wanted to thank you. I do want to thank you, but I wanted to date you more." Hinata smiled. "So, maybe we could go on a proper date this weekend?"

"I'd like that N-Naruto-kun."

* * *

"Y-You really don't have to take me all the way home Naruto-kun." Hinata said later as they drove out of the city.

"Don't be silly, that's why I borrowed the car. What sort of guy would I be to let you catch the train home?"

When they eventually arrived at Hinata's house, she was hesitant to get out of the car.

"I-I'll see you at school tomorrow Naruto-kun?"

"Most definitely. Gotta show off my new girlfriend." He grinned and she blushed.

Hinata fiddled with her fingers, looking down at her lap. "G-Goodnight Naruto-kun."

"Goodnight Hinata."

As she opened the car door, Naruto leaned over and kissed her. Not on the lips, on the corner of the mouth. Hinata looked at him with wide eyes and a light blush.

He grinned wider. "Can't give you a real kiss because this wasn't a real date. Wouldn't be proper. So this weekend: you, me, a real date and a proper kiss."

* * *

**Okay, do I owe you guys an explanation? I asked, not long ago, over on the NaruHina thread of the Naruto Forums, about favourite fanfiction types and somehow, people replied that good Highschool fics were the hardest to write.**

**How can you ignore a challenge like that?**

**This is for Shawny Wong (your pokes hurt), Emmy Kay, perpetual159, Reading Maid and bumblemark. And for NaruHina fans all over the world. Hi!**

**And guys, this was exactly 10, 000 words long. Yay for my weirdness!**

**-Wandering Wonderer**


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